KORUS FTA
Forging a 21st Century U.S.-Korea Alliance: Identifying Obstacles and Opportunities (audio and transcripts available)
This one-day symposium, co-sponsored by The Hwajeong Peace Foundation of Dong-A Ilbo, addressed a number of issues which factor into the current health and future of U.S. relations with Korea. Featured speakers included U.S. Congressmen Gary Ackerman (D-NY) and Ed Royce (R-CA), as well as U.S. Special Envoy for Human Rights in North Korea, Jay Lefkowitz. Expert panels explored such issues as freedom, democracy, human rights, market economy, and the implications of the KORUS Free Trade Agreement for future U.S.-Korean ties.
IRP Gatekeeper Editors Report from Korea (audio available)
The International Reporting Project (IRP) at SAIS and the U.S.-Korea Institute, based on a 10-day fact finding tour of Korea, release a report on the strength of relations between U.S. firms in Korea and the Korean government and the importance of early ratification of the FTA.
The U.S. in Korea: The Economic Dimension (audio available)
Tami Overby, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (better known as AMCHAM), along with Seok Young Choi, Minister of Economic Affairs at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea and key U.S. business representatives, analyze the strategic opportunities of the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
Seoul-Washington: Where Do We Stand? (audio available)
Alexander Vershbow, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, discusses the health of U.S.-Korean relations under the Bush Administration including the implications of the vast number of Korean Americans, Koreans entering the U.S. each year, and the KORUS FTA, the largest free trade agreement since NAFTA.